Caught Him Staring
by NoSecretsHere
Summary: For that second it all clicks. Everything around her weaves together. She isn't in her office. She's in a hospital. She hasn't worked as an architect for years. Her hair is completely grey. She's….old, forgetting, and not all there. She looked up again and caught Percy staring. He looked hopeful, as if he's seeing something in her.


**Author's Note** : This started off as a simple writing exercise for me, but it transformed into this. This is my first story for Percy Jackson, so let me know if you enjoyed it. I might write another if you think I've got a hold on the fandom.

 _ **Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it.**_

 **Caught Him Staring**

Annabeth sat at her desk. Her eyes were wandering around the surface staring at the papers strewn all over it. Each paper was scribbled with a drawing of a building that had been deemed unworthy. Nibbling on her lip, she brought her pencil to a new sheet of paper. Her hand stayed in that motion ready to draw, waiting for her to continue. The wheels slowly turned in Annabeth's mind.

What had she been drawing again?

Hairs stood up on her neck. A foreboding feeling taking over her. Out of habit she looked up and around her office.

That's when she caught him. He was leaning against the door frame staring at her like he always had. Ever since they had been teenagers he had loved to stare at her while she worked. He turned his head away as if embarrassed he had been caught.

"You should be sneakier Seaweed Brain," Annabeth teased.

Her mouth shut closed. Seaweed Brain? Why had she called him that? She was far too old to be calling him that. The last time she had they had been in their…twenties. Yeah their twenties.

"Huh?" Percy asked. His eyes were on the papers on her desk. They had been married for…for a long time. He should be used to seeing her work by now.

"You're so obtuse," she laughed, shaking her head. Her hair shook around her.

A few of the strands caught her eye. They glimmered grey. Huh. When did she start getting so much grey hair? It must have been all the stress from being a working mother. She would have to buy another box of hair coloring from the store soon.

"I'll try," Percy grinned at her.

Annabeth smiled back at him. Oh how she loved him. He may have been obtuse, but she loved him. Looking back down at the papers in front of her, she tried to get back to work. The carefully drawn buildings stared back at her. What had she been working on? Why had she been drawing this building? What building was this?

"Annabeth….what are you working on?" Percy asked the question slowly. He had walked to the side of her desk.

"The…..the…Brown's building," Annabeth stuttered out the answer. Her brows were furrowed in confusion. What was going on with her?

She looked up at Percy, her eyes a storm of confusion and pain. He tried to look away from her fast enough, but she caught him. He had already been looking at her, his eyes watery. She knew that look. He was hurting. Why?

"Percy….what's going on?" she asked, her voice panicked.

"Nothing Annabeth," Percy told her. He turned to face her again. He was still in pain she noticed.

What was wrong?

Behind Percy she saw it for the first time. A bed with perfectly made white sheets. There was a bed in her office. Who had put a bed in her office?

"Percy…" Annabeth said, standing up.

Over the headboard of the bed was a picture. It was of the New York sun rise around a beautiful building. A truly gorgeous building. Looking back down at her desk, she saw the same exact building in her sketches.

"Percy…" She repeated.

"It's okay Annabeth, you're okay," he told her, coming toward her to hug her.

She wanted to hurry into his arms. He will keep her safe. He's always kept her safe. That's when she notices it. Before he can finally hold her, she freezes.

"Percy…why are you wearing a Hospital's visitor tag?" she asked him.

For that second it all clicks. Everything around her weaves together. She isn't in her office. She's in a hospital. She hasn't worked as an architect for years. Her hair is completely grey. She's….old, forgetting, and not all there.

She looked up again and caught Percy staring. He looked hopeful, as if he's seeing something in her.

"What you staring at Seaweed Brain?" she laughed, sitting back down at her desk.

For a moment she swears she heard a sob. Before she can question it, Percy sat down on the edge of her desk. A thin smile on his face. His eyes went to the sketches on her desk.

"You're amazing," he practically whispered.

"These aren't even those good," Annabeth brushed off his compliment.

 **Author's Note** : Well that was an emotional rollercoaster. The prompt I found on Tumblr had been "Catching him staring". This somehow ended up being the result. Did any particular thing get to you all? Let me know in the reviews.


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